Gujarat leads in financial discipline, has not taken overdraft in 22 years: Minister

Gandhinagar: Speaking on budgetary demands of the finance department in the assembly on Monday, state finance minister Kanubhai Desai said that Gujarat leads the country in financial discipline and it has not taken a single overdraft in the past 22 years.Desai said Gujarat achieved a revenue surplus of Rs 18,943 crore in 2024-25, which is projected to increase to Rs 25,587 crore in 2026-27. Desai said the fiscal deficit is maintained within the limit of 3% of the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), with the fiscal deficit estimated at only 1.97% of GSDP for 2026-27. He added that Gujarat has also been the top state in the country for timely GST returns for five consecutive years. The minister said that under the Finance Commission, Gujarat is estimated to receive a grant of Rs 6,999 crore for 2026-27, an increase of approximately 11.66% for urban and rural self-governance institutions and other departments. Regarding social security, the minister stated that Gujarat is becoming a leading state in the country by providing financial assistance through DBT under 367 schemes across 15 departments. In 2025-26, Rs 21,387 crore has been transferred to 6.30 crore beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT).